Swimming pool cleaning device



June 7, 1966 J. R. SHAW SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 22. 1965 To Conventional Vacuum Source :EIELl 37 MotorCut-Off Switch as 84 e7 as Motor Cu1'0ff Switch Arm INVENTOR.

JAMES R. SHAW ATTORNEYS June 7, 1966 J. R. SHAW 3,254,355

SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22 1965 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. JAMES R. SHAW ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,254,355SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE James R. Shaw, 15 Beaconsfield Court,Orinda, Calif. Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,320 6 Claims. (Cl.151.7)

This invention relates to a cleaning device for swimming pools and thelike and more particularly to a device which maybe adapted to pools thatare bounded by walls describing irregular, as well as regular, shapes.

In the normal course of usage a swimming pool, and more particularly thebottom of the pool, acquires a certain amount of silt, dirt and otherobjectional residue. Hence it is necessary periodically to clean thebottom of such pools either manually or with the assistance of vacuumcleaner heads that are well-known expedients in the art.

Numerous attempts have been made to design devices that may accomplishthe task of cleaning a swimming pool bottom or the like in a relativelyautomatic manner with minimum attendance by an operator. Some devices ofthis type with which I am familiar involve completely submergedmechanisms such as those shown in the US.

patents to Babcock, Nos. 2,923,954 and 2,988,762. Such devices, however,involve problems of making certain portions of the drive mechanismcompletely water tight. In addition, once the cleaning device is placedin operation in a pool, there is no-positive control over the traversingaction of the cleaning head which is necessary to assure effectivecleaning of the pool or tank bottom. Also, this type of device, becauseit is completely submerged, makes the use of an internal combustionengine as its propelling source impracticable, and the use of electricaldevices in and around swimming pools may create a hazard to persons andproperty in the vicinity.

Another type of device with which I am familiar separates the cleaninghead from the driving machinery by means of a floating device directlyover the former as shown in the US. patent to Dulak, No. 2,646,889.However, here too there is no positive control over the sweeping motionof the device so that cleaning, particularly where the shape of the poolmay be irregular or of a free form type, becomes extremely difiicult ifnot impossible.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaningdevice which may be adapted to clean a surface whose boundaries arerelatively irregular and whose crosssectional profile varies dependingon the depth of the pool. To assure positive action of the cleaningoperation, structure is provided to movably span at least one majordimension of the surface to be cleaned upon which a movable carriage ismounted to provide vertically movable support for a vacuum cleanerhead'which is then free to follow the profile of the surface beingcleaned below.

A feature and an advantage of this invention is that all of thepropelling mechanism is completely controlled above the surface of thepool or tank so that a positive cleaning pattern may be accomplished.

Another advantage of this system is that by having the source of powerfor driving my cleaning device above the surface of the water in thepool being cleaned, an ordinary gasoline engine, for example, may beemployed. This eliminates the hazards attendant the use of electricaldevices in such an environment and provides a self-propelling unitwithout the inconvenience of finding an electrical source outlet andhaving extension cords strung thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel inching meansmounted on the carriage structure which causes the entire device to movein small increments of distance along the length of the pool afteralternate traverses of the cleaning head along the pool bottom.

-is that the pool bottom is-exposed to a regular and repetitive cleaningpattern which cannot be disturbed by minor obstructions or accumulationsof dirt or silt or the like along the bottom of the surface beingcleaned.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inching device whichpropels the entire structure or cleaning device in a direction at rightangles to the direction of sweeping the pool but which requires only asingle motive power source to accomplish both directions of motion.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for an inching meansto move the structure along the length of the pool which employs a tagline connected from one end of the pool and secured to a take-upmechanism located on the moving cleaning device itself. Line is used topull the entire cleaning device along the length of the pool I at onlyalternate traverses of the cleaning head itself by means of a noveldevice for holding the take-up line and using the sweep motion to causethe carriage structure to pull itself along.

Another feature and an advantage of this invention is that the vacuumcleaner head is rigidly connected to the moving carriage portion of thecleaning device but is able to displace vertically to accommodatevariations in the depth of the pool being cleaned as well as otherirregularities along the bottom surface.

Other numerous objects, features and advantages will become apparentfrom a reading of the following detailed specification which is intendedto illustrate with some clarity one embodiment of my invention but isnot intended to impose unnecessary limitations thereon. Thespecification is accompanied by drawings illustrating my inventionwherein the same numerals or characters correspond to the same partsshown in the several figures therein.

Turning now to the drawings,

*FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing my invention installed in atypical asymmetrically shaped swimming pool.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of my device taken along line22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the detail in perspective of a lower portion of theapparatus used With my invention taken along line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of my invention with certain elementspartially removed to reveal various details.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front elevation taken along line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detailed front sectional elevation taken along line 6-6 ofFIG. 4.

My invention embraces a device for automatic and unattended vacuumcleaning of a swimming pool irrespective of the shape of the poolitself. A conventional cleaning head is supported at the end of a tubeor pipe element which in turn is slidably mounted on a motorizedcarriage. The carriage traverses the pool along a rail which issupported on either side of said pool by a two-wheel carriage riding onan inverted angle rail.

The carriage moves along the rail across the pool between the invertedangle shaped rails at a relatively constant and predetermined slow rateof speed adapted 'for optimum cleaning of the pool bottom by the vacuumcleaner head. When the carriage comes near one side of the pool, areversing mechanism is tripped which.

causes the carriage to change its direction of travel and proceed towardthe opposite side of the pool. On every other such traverse of the pool,an inching device is actuated causing the entire carriage, beam andwheeled truck assembly to advance along the pool by about six inches ina direction parallel to the inverted angle rails. The combined action ofthe reversing mechanism and intermittent inching device is repeatedcontinuously so that the entire pool bottom is systematically exposed tothe cleaning action of the vacuum cleaner head. When the inchingmechanism brings my swimming pool cleaner assembly all the way from oneend of the pool to the other, a conventional trip switch automaticallyturns off the gasoline engine; and the device is ready for removal fromthe pool and storage until the next cleaning. The inverted angle rails,which may be only temporarily placed along two sides of the pool, mayalso be removed and stored; however, these rails may be permanentlyinstalled at pool side with little if any interference with the ordinaryuse of the pool facility.

As mentioned in the foregoing description, my novel swimming poolcleaner is designed to reverse its traverse motion solely by coming neara pool side, and inching motion is caused by every other traverse of thecarriage. Consequently, an entire swimming pool, irrespective of shape,may be vacuum cleaned automatically with a minimum of operatorattendance.

My invention is best understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings and initially to FIG. 1 wherein the various portions of mynovel structure and device are indicated generally at A. A conventionaland asymmetrical swimming pool is shown having sides 'B, C, D and Ewhich are of a generally curved, irregular and continuous shape. I havechosen to illustrate my invention with this type of pool since itaffords the most problems to automatic pool cleaners. However, it willbe apparent upon reading the following specification that my inventionis equally applicable to pools of more conventional shapes, e.-g.rectangular. For purposes of reference and explaining the invention, itis assumed that the pool is rfilled to a water level indicated in FIG. 1at F, and that G, the bottom of the pool, is of a generally slopingnature as is conventional for most swimming pools.

A pair of rails 12 which may be made of ordinary structural steel angleare shown placed in generally parallel relation to each other on eitherside of the swimming pool. These rails extend for about the entirelength of the pool and are nearly tangent to extreme edges 13a and 13b.

Upon each of rails 12 there rides a pair of two-wheeled trucks indicatedgenerally at 14 in FIG. 1 and shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4 andwherein their relationship with, and connection to, crossbeam 16 is alsoseen. Each of trucks 14 comprise a pair of suitably shaped sides 17which may be made of conventional steel angles or the like. Spaced apartat each end of truck 14, and mounted by known expedients on a pin oraxle 18, are V-shaped pulleys or wheels 19. These wheels may be selectedfrom any one of a number of such devices well known in the art and arenot further described herein except to note that the V-shaped contour orgroove around the periphery of these wheels is adapted to fit overinverted angle 12 as seen in FIG. 5. Wheels 19 are mounted on pins 18 ina manner to afford relatively friction-free rotation. Beam 16 which isselected long enough to span the widest portion of the pool as seen inFIG. 1 may be made of a conventional structural steel rolled shape suchas an H, I or WF column. Beam 16 at its extremities is attached aboutmidway between the wheels of each of trucks 14 by bolting or othersuitable means.

As seen be seen in FIG. 1, a carriage indicated generally'at 21 and seenin greater detail in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, is movably mounted on the upperflange portion of beam 16. The carriage indicated at 21 comprises a baseplate 22 to which there is attached a pair of angle clips 23 havingvertical legs 24. Legs 24 are spaced apart a distance slightly greaterthan the width of the top flange of beam 16 along side of which saidlegs 24 depend.

Carriage 21 is movably mounted on beam 16 primarily by means of supportand tractive rollers 26a and 26b. Roller 26a is keyed to shaft 27a,which in turn is mounted between conventional flanged pillow blocks 28bolted to legs 24. A portion of shaft 27a extends outwardly from roller26a; and, as seenin FIG. 2, an extended portion of said shaft shown tothe right of that figure has secured to its end driving pulley 29.Pulley 29 is driven by belt 31 in a manner to be described below.

To the left of FIG. 2 another portion of shaft 27a extends outwardly andhas fixedly secured thereto chain sprocket 32 which is adapted toreceive and drive endless chain 33. Chain 33 and its interrelationshipto other parts is best seen in FIG. 4 where portions of plate 22 andangles 23 are removed to show the chain connection to mating chainsprocket 34 which is fixedly secured to a projecting end of shaft 271;,which in turn rotatably supports roller 2611 between angle legs 24 andmounting pillow blocks 36 bolted to each of the legs 24. Hence it can beseen that as roller 26a is rotated by means of drive belt 31 and drivenpulley 29, roller 2612 will also be driven simultaneously in the samedirection of rotation.

The means for propelling carriage 21 by the rotation of rollers 26a and26b may best be understood by referring to FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6. In FIG.2 I indicate at 37 a conventional,. fractional horsepower gasolineengine. I have found the use of such a power unit very satisfactorycompared to electric motor drives since it eliminates the need forpotentially hazardous electrical connections in and around a swimmingpool containing a large body of normally treated water which can act asan electrolyte and endanger property and persons in the vicinity. Also,the use of a gasoline engine affords a self-propelled mode of tractiveforce which, in combination with the novel inching device that I use tomove the unit in the direction of the length of the pool, is the solepower required to move my swimming pool cleaner both along the length ofthe pool as well as its width.

The gasoline engine indicated at 37 is provided with a suitable andconventional gear head which is not shown on the drawings but from whichthere projects shaft 38 which can be seen in FIG. 4. The gasoline enginegear head is selected so that, with the engine running at about itsnormal idle speed, the output speed of shaft 38 is of the proper rpm. topropel the swimming pool cleaner. Attached to the end of shaft 38 isdriver gear 39 which is also seen partially in FIG. 2. Gear 39 engagesboth driving gears 41 and 42 which are best shown in FIG. 6. Both gears41 and 42 ride freely on shaft 43 which is supported betweenconventional pillow blocks (not shown) securely mounted to the top ofplate 22. All three gears 39, 41 and 42 are of the right angle beveltype and, when mounted as shown, result in having shaft 43 at rightangles with output shaft 38 of the gasoline engine. Gears 41 and 42 areprevented from drifting away from their engagement with gear 39 by meansof conventional set collars 44. Rotation of shaft '43 may beaccomplished by engaging either gear 41 or 42; and the direction ofrotation of shaft 43 will be in one direction if powered by gear 41 andin the opposite direction if powered by gear 42. Selection of the gearto power shaft 43 is accomplished by means of a conventional splineddogging device indicated generally at 46 in FIG. 6. The device consistsof a keyed dog 47 which is capable of sliding freely on the splines orkeys 48 which are provided at several equal intervals around theperiphery of shaft 43 in the region between the bodies of gears 41 and42. Each end of dogging device crank portion 56a to dogging device 47.

47 is provided with a series of indentations 49 which are orientedradially and distributed at equal intervals circumferentially at theends of dog 47. A set ofmating bosses 51 are provided along thedepressed faces of each of gears 41 and 42 and are also orientedradially at equal intervals circumferentially about the depressed facesof said gears. When dog 47 is moved in either direction so as to contactthe depressed region in the face of gears 41 or 42, bosses 51 tend tobecome engaged in depressions 49 so that, when the dogging device isengaged in the direction of arrow 52 or 53, gear 41 or 42, respectively,is rotated by virtue of the engagement of said bosses 51 in recesses 49.Movement of dogging device 47 in the direction of either arrow 52 or 53is accomplished by means of slide shifter 54 which rides in thedepressed central region of dogging device 47. Shifter 54 is moved bymeans of shifter arm 56 which is also seen in FIGS. 2. and 4 andexplained in greater detail hereinafter.

At the outer end of shaft 43 as seen in FIG. 4, there is rigidly mounteddrive pulley 57 which tractively engages endless belt 31. When thegasoline engine is operating at normal speed and the dogging device ismoved in the direction of arrow 52 so as to engage gear .41 causingrotation of shaft 43 in the direction of 52a, drive belt 31 is driven inthe direction of arrow 58. This causes rollers 26a and 26b to rotate inthe direction indicated by arrows 59a and 59b, respectively, propellingthe entire carriage assembly in the direction of arrow 61a along beam 16toward swimming pool wall B shown in FIG. 1.

In order to assure proper traction of drive rollers 26a and 26b on beam16, a pair of restraining rollers 62, seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, are mountedon legs 24 directly beneath the flange of beam 16 by means ofconventional restraining pins 63. Pins 63 are secured by means of nuts64 and lock washers 65.

When the carriage device has traversed in the direction of arrow 61a tothe vicinity of swimming pool wall B, striker rod 66, which is securedin position by bracing tube 67 and bracket 68, comes into contact withsaid wall B. By the motive force of the carriage as explained above,striker rod 66 is forced to slidably move in the direction of 69a, seeFIG. 4, which in turn causes motion of arm 71, seen in FIG. 2. Arm 71 isconnected by means of pin 72 and bracket 73 to strike rod 66. Lever 71is pivotally connected to the carriage at plate 22 by means of pin 74 sothat motion imparted to the lever'by striker arm 66 causes the forkedend portion 76 to force arm 56 to move in a given direction. Forexample, when striker 66 contacts side B of the swimming pool, arm 56 ismoved in the direction of arrow 77a. Arm 56, which is pivotallyconnected to plate 22 by means of pin 78, thus causes disengagement ofdogging device 47 from gear 41. Gear. 41 is prevented from frictionallydragging along in dogging recesses 49 by virtue of its spaced apartengagement with the driving gear 39. As arm 56 motion about pin 78occurs, and the driving force of gear 41 is interrupted by movement ofdogging device 47, the entire carriage 21 ceases movement in thedirection of swimming pool wall B; and bell crank portion 56a of arm 56between pin 78 and dogging device 47 comes to rest under and inalignment with tension spring 79. At this point the tension spring hasbeen elongated and tends to exert a pull at the pin connection of hellThe inertia of the entire carriage causes the bell crank portion torotate past its position of alignment with the axis of spring 79 andaway from its position which causes engagement of dogging device 47 withgear 41. Although the carriage is not being propelled at this instant,the added tension imparted in spring 79 by the movement of arm 56 causesthe spring to draw the bell crank portion in a direction urging doggingdevice 47 in the direction of arrow 53. This in turn causes engagementbetween bosses 51 in gear 42 with the depressions 49 of the doggingdevice. With gear 42 now powering rotation of shaft 43, the shaft turnsin direction of arrow 53a shown in FIG. 6, which in turn causes drivepulley 57 to rotatein a direction so as to drive belt 31 in thedirection of arrow 58b, as seen in FIG. 4. Hence rollers 26a and 26b arerotated in the direction of arrows 59c and 59d, respectively, causingthe entire carriage to reverse direction of travel and move along beam16 in the direction of arrow 61b towards swimming pool wall D. As thecarriage approaches the proximity of wall D, striker arm 66 engages saidwall forcing the arm to move in the direction of arrow 69b; and theprocess of linkage and gear rotation described above is reversed againso that the carriage now proceeds from the side of the pool indicated bywall D in the direction of arrow 61a to 16 at its mid-section as bestseen in FIGS. 2 and 4. Tag

line reel 83is of a conventional type known in the art and is notfurther described herein except to note its 1 characteristic ability totake up any slack in line 81 Without exerting enough tension so as tocause movement of the carriage and beam structure.

Located near reel 83 is bracket 84 suitably secured to beam I16 andextending outwardly therefrom a short distance. Pivotally attached tothis bracket is angle rail 86 secured thereto by means of pin 87 mountedin a slotted hole through the rail and provided with spring urging meanswhich tends to keep the section of rail 86 nearest pin 87 toward beam16. This relationship is best seen in FIG. 4. Also by means of theconventional spring just referred to, rail 86 is normally cantedangularly outwardly from beam 16 with the end mounted on pin 87 nearestto the beam. At the other end of rail 86 there is mounted clip bracket88, whose leg 89 filetiis directly in alignment with tag line 81, seenin FIGS. -2 and 4. Mounted on base 88 is eccentric cam 91 which pivotsabout and is rotatably held by pin 92. The shape of cam 91 is such thatin a normally relaxed position as seen in 'FIG. 4, and under springtension produced by .a conventional spiral spring (not shown) tiedbetween pin 92 and cam 91, the nose of cam 91 bears gently against line81 so that the latter is held firmly against vertical'leg 89. Attachedto carriage 21 at the base of one of its legs 24 is wheel 93 seen in theright hand side of FIG. 2 and in the cutaway portion of FIG. 4. Wheel 93rotates on securing pin 94 and is secured by conventional means tobracket 96 which is in turn welded or otherwise suitablyconnected to thebottom of leg 24. As seen in FIG. 4, and with the carriage traveling inthe direction of arrow 6%, wheel 93 is just beginning to impose itselfalong the vertical leg of rail 86. As the carriage proceeds further inthe direction of arrow 69b, and as wheel 93 proceeds furt-her in thesamedirection, rail 86 is forced to move pivotally in the directionindicated by arrow 96a. As this occurs cam 91, provided with slightserrations at its point of contact with line 81, tends to jam and holdline 81 firmly against leg 89. As wheel 93 proceeds to bring rail 86into approximately parallel alignment with beam 16, the entire carriageand beam assembly is forced forward in the direction of arrow 97 for adistince approximately equal to dimension 98 indicated in FIG. 4. I havefound that it is satisfactory to make dimension 98 about 6 to 10 inches.After carriage 21 has proceeded past the midsection of the beam carryingwheel 94 past its rolling contact with rail 86, said rail and bracket 88assembly is caused to spring back in the direction of ar- 7 row 96b toits former angularly outwardly projecting position by the spiral springacting about pivotal point 87. Because the serrations about the nose ofcam 91 which engage line 8 1 against leg 89 are oriented to hold theline firmly only when the entire bracket and arm assembly is moved inthe direction of arrow 96a, when the motion is reversed in the directionof arrow 96b, the cam tends to slide easily along the direction of line81 in preparation for the next inching procedure. It should be notedthat spring reel 83 maintains line 81 in a relatively taut position byvirtue of its take-up ability as line 81 is fed to it during the inchingmotion.

When the carriage returns in its travel along beam 16 in the directionof arrow 61b, wheel 93 avoids engagement with rail 86 by striking theinside surface of the vertical leg of the rail and forcing it to move aslight distance outwardly so that wheel 93 may pass. This isaccommodated by means of a slotted hole in which pin 87 resides andwhich is normally spring urged in the position shown in FIG. 4 but whichmay be easily displaced by the passage of the wheel as described. Thus,the entire pool cleaning carriage and beam is progressively movedforward each time the carriage passes the mid position while progressingin the direction of arrow 61a between swimming pool walls B and D. Inthis manner a regular repetitive cleaning pattern is maintained alongthe bottom of the pool for the conventional vacuum sweep without thenecessity of an attendant despite the irregular shape of the poolitself.

Attached to one side of plate 22, as seen in FIG. 4, is tubular member101 which passes through the plate and forms a reinforced openingtherethrough. Slidably mounted within tube 101 is pipe 102 which extendsdownwardly for attachment to a conventional swimming pool vacuum head103. Head 103 is connected to pipe 102 by means of a conventional swiveljoint indicated at 104 so that, as castors 106 traverse along theirregular bottom of the sloping floor swimming pool, the head is free totilt in either the direction of arrows 107a and 1107b or 108a and 108bwithout causing the carriage to be disturbed from its position on rail16. In addition, to accommodate for the overall difference in the depthof the pool from one end to the other, pipe 102 is free to slide up anddown in tube 101. As can be seen in FIG. 3, a T-connection 109 is influid communication with the vacuum head itself through the lowerportion of pipe 102 and is also connected by known means to an ordinaryflexible hose 1.1 1, which in turn leads to a vacuum source which is notshown or further described herein.

The use of my invention may be summarized by describing the usual stepsin its normal use. A pair of inverted angle rails '12 are laid inparallel spaced relation along two sides of a swimming pool as indicatedin FIG. 1 and temporarily attached thereto. The movable beam structurecomprising rail or beam 16 and the trucks indicated at 14 are broughtinto place on the rails at one end of the pool. Tag line 81 is unwoundfrom reel 83 and attached temporarily to a post at the opposite end ofthe pool by means of connection 82. A gasoline engine carriage indicatedat 21 is then mounted on rail 16 and the vacuum cleaner head andextension pipe 102 placed in operating position in tube .101. Aconventional vacuum source is attached to flexible hosing 11.1, thegasoline engine turned on, and the cleaner permitted to proceed to sweepthe pool back and forth along its width dimensions while advancing orinching along the length of the pool in the manner described in greaterdetail above. Due to the automatic reversing and inching features thatare embraced in my invention, a pool of almost any shape irrespective ofirregular boundaries and side wall configurations may be automaticallycleaned without attendance once the equipment is placed in operation. Anordinary safety switch cutoff attached to the gasoline engine, andsensitive to striking contact with one end of the pool, may be employedto shut off the engine once the entire pool is swept from one end to theother.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity ofunderstanding, it is understood that certain changes or modificationsmay be practiced within the spirit of the invention and scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device to clean a surface whose boundaries are relativelyirregular and whose cross-sectional profile varies, comprising incombination: a beam having sufiicient length to span at least one majordimension of the surface to be cleaned and having roller supports at theextremities thereof; means disposed along at least two sides of thesurface to be cleaned to guide said roller supports of said beam;carriage means movably mounted on said beam and adapted to traverse thebeam in both directions along substantially the entire length thereof;vertically movable means dependent from said carriage means havingcleaning means at the lower extremity thereof to clean the surface incontact therewith, said vertically movable means adapted to cause saidcleaning means to follow the profile of the surface being cleaned;propelling means mounted on said carriage means to propel the carriagemeans along said beam and cause the carriage to reverse direction oftravel along the beam after traversing the beam from one side to theother of the surface being cleaned; inching means mounted on said beamand carriage means to cause the beam and carriage means to move in smallincrements of distance in a direction normal to the span of the beamafter alternate traverses of the carriage along said beam; and meansmounted on said carriage to cause said propelling means to ceasepropelling said carriage means after said beam is caused to comerelatively close to one end of the surface being cleaned.

2. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further saidinching means comprises: means interconnecting a point near one end ofthe surface to be cleaned and said beam to decrease the interval betweensaid point near the end of the pool and the beam.

3. A cleaning device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further saidinching means comprises: a-tag line connected between one end of thesurface to be cleaned and a point at about midspan of said beam; tagline take up means mounted on said beam and said carriage means todecrease the length of said tag line between the one end of the surfaceand the point of connection of the line on said beam.

4. A swimming pool cleaning device adapted for swimming pools havingvarious shapes and dimensions of length, width and depth, said devicehaving a conventional cleaning head with a length of flexible hosehaving one end attached in fluid communication with said head and theother end attached in fluid communication with a vacuum air source,comprising in combination: a pair of parallel rails removably securedalong two sides of the swimming pool and extending substantially alongthe entire length of said pool; carrier means movably mounted on saidrails and connected to said cleaning head to transport the head alongthe bottom of the pool and in cleaning contact therewith; power meansmounted on said carrier means to cause said carrier means to travelcontinuously from one side of the pool to the other between said railsand to move in relatively small increments of distance along the lengthof the pool during every other traverse of said carrier between therails, whereby said cleaning head is transported back and forth betweenthe sides of the pool and along the entire length thereof while incleaning contact with the bottom of the pool; and stop means mounted onsaid carriage means to cause said power means to cease operation whensaid carriage means proceeds from one end of the pool to the other.

5. In a cleaning device adapted for use with a swimming pool andprovided with a conventional vacuum cleaning head, the combinationcomprising: a pair of rails disposed in parallel relationship alongopposite sides of the swimming pool; a beam extending at right angles tosaid pair of rails and at least as long as the interval therebetween;truck means attached to each end of said beam for rolling engagementupon said pair of rails and to support said beam; carriage means mountedon said beam and adapted to provide a rigid and vertically movabledepending support for said vacuum cleaning head, whereby said head iscaused to remain in constant contact with the bottom of the swimmingpool; tractive means connected to said carriage means to traverse thecarriage means along said beam; reversing means connected to saidcarriage to cause said tractive means to reverse direction of travel ofthe carriage means when the latter comes relatively near either side ofthe swimming pool; inching means connected to said beam and carriagemeans to cause the beam and carriage means to progress in a direction atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the beam in relatively shortincrements of travel during alternate traverses of the carriage meansalong the beam; and means associated with said tractive means to causethe latter to cease operation after said beam and carriage meansprogress in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of thebeam and come relatively near to one end of the swimming pool.

6. A cleaning device in accordance with claim and wherein further saidinching means comprises: a rail member having one end movably connectedto said beam to define at least a first position and a second position,said first position having said member projecting horizontally outwardlyfrom the beam and the second position having the member relativelyparallel to the beam; spring means connected to said rail member andsaid beam to urge the member normally to said first position; a bracketpivotally attached to theother end of said rail member; a tag linehaving one end connected near the end of the pool; tag line storing andretrieving means mounted near the mid span of said beam to secure theother end of said tag line and maintain the line relatively taut with aportion of the line positioned in said bracket; cam means pivotallymounted on said bracket to cause said'tag line to hold in the bracketwhen said rail member is moved from said firs-t to said second positionand slide the tag line in the bracket when the rail member is moved fromsaid second to said first position; roller means mounted on saidcarriage means to cause said rail member to move from said first to saidsecond position when the carriage means traverses said beam in onedirection of travel only, whereby when said carriage means traversessaid beam in one direction the tag line is held in said bracket and themovement of said rail member pulls the entire cleaning device by saidtag line along the length of the pool for a relatively short distancenormal to the beam, and when the carriage means traverses the beam inthe other direction of travel no movement along the length of the pooloccurs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,923,954 2/1960Babcock 15-l'.7 2,988,762 6/1961 Babcock 1S1.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 446,008 11/1912 France.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner.

4. A SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR SWIMMING POOLS HAVINGVARIOUS SHAPES AND DIMENSIONS OF LENGTH, WIDTH, AND DEPTH, SAID DEVICEHAVING A CONVENTIONAL CLEANING HEAD WITH A LENGTH OF FLEXIBLE HOSEHAVING ONE END ATTACHED IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID HEAD AND THEOTHER END ATTACHED IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH A VACUUM AIR SOURCE,COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A PAIR OF PARALLEL RAILS REMOVABLY SECUREDALONG TWO SIDES OF THE SWIMMING POOL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONGTHE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID POOL; CARRIER MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAIDRAILS AND CONNECTED TO SAID CLEANING HEAD TO TRANSPORT THE HEAD ALONGTHE BOTTOM OF THE POOL AND IN CLEANING CONTACT THEREWITH; POWER MEANSMOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER MEANS TO CAUSE SAID CARRIER MEANS TO TRAVELCONTINUOUSLY FROM ONE SIDE OF THE POOL TO THE OTHER BETWEEN SAID RAILSAND TO MOVE IN RELATIVELY SMALL INCREMENTS OF DISTANCE ALONG THE LENGTHOF THE POOL DURING EVERY OTHER TRAVERSE OF SAID CARRIER BETWEEN THERAILS, WHEREBY SAID CLEANING HEAD IS TRANSPORTED BACK AND FORTH BETWEENTHE SIDES OF THE POOL AND ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF WHILE INCLEANING CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL; AND STOP MEANS MOUNTED ONSAID CARRIAGE MEANS TO CAUSE SAID POWER MEANS TO CEASE OPERATION WHENSAID CARRIAGE MEAND PROCEEDS FROM ONE END TO THE POOL TO THE OTHER.